Brake



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V BRAKE Filed June a, 1938 r 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Hal 20 [M By Wuuam 151-21252,

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ATTORNEY.

Feb. 24 1942. w WHITE. ET L 2,274,021

BRAKE Filed June s,' 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. JOHN W. WH 1112:

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ATTORNEY.

side of the car or from Patented Feb. 24, 1942 7 BRAKE John WfWhitaSouth Bend,.Ind., and William Stelzer, Detroit, Mich assignors, by mesnc as- 1 signments, to Bendix Aviation Corporation,- South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware;

Application June a, 1938, Serial No." 211,554 c 6 Claims. 01. 188-153 This invention relates to braking systems and more particularly to braking systems of the fluid pressure type adapted to be used especially with vehicles used in mines.

Oneobject of this invention is to provide a fluid pressure braking system for a vehicle adapted to carry a considerable load and to so arrange the system that it may be manually operated' by the attendant from the outside of the A further object of the invention is to provide a manually controlled braking system of the fluid pressure type upon such a vehicle so constructed that the brake can be set for maximum braking for any desired length of time without danger'of the conduits bursting due to the expansion of fluid in the cylinders.

though other uses of'the system may be found,

in the preferred embodiment it is shown as in,- corporated in a mine car. In suchuse the speed of the mine car being about two or three miles an hour permits the operator to walk at the sideof his car and set the brakes either partially to retard the speed'somewhat when descending a slope or to set them completely to stop the car. The hookupis soconstructed that (inasmuch as the temperature within the mine is practically constant) the car can be left unattended with the brakes set without danger of the conduits bursting due to expansion of the fluid. v v N l Another object ofthe invention is to provide a braking system having an actuating mechanism adapted to be operated either from one one of two sides of the car. n-

Other objects and desirable particular constructions and arrangement of parts will become apparent upon reference to the following detailed description of the two' illustrative em.- bodiments shown in theraccompanying draw- 'ings, in which: a

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mine'car' embodying my novel braking system; v Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of themine car with a cutaway portion showing the wheel cylinder;

Figure-"3 is a front elevational view of the minecar showing the lever and latch member for the operation oithe system; and

' Figure 4 is a modification of Figure 3 showing I the lever as being adaptedto operation manually if rom either side of, the car. Referring now to the drawings for a more detaileddescription of our novel braking systern there is illustrated in Figure 1 a mine car indicated generally'by the reference numeral I embodying our invention. The mine car in is constructed with a floor portion 12, and side walls I4 having recesses l6 therein-so as to receive the wheels l8. 1 To prevent the running of two or more of the carsinto each other on a curved track when they are linked together the car is provided with outwardly extending pore tions and 22 and recedingportions 23 con-- nected to the side walls [4.

The outwardly extending front portion 20 has suitably secured to itself at its inner side a master cylinder 24 having a shaft 26 (Figure 3) extending outward through the front portion 20. The outer end ofthe shaft 26 is formed with w a transverse slot 28 receiving the operating lever 30. Thislever is formed of spring steel for purposes later to be detailed. The lever 30 is secured within the transverse slot 28 by means such as a bolt 32 so that operation of the lever in an upward direction will actuate the master cylinder 24. By reason of this construction, it,

can also be moved-laterally around the bolt 32 I to allow engagement with or disengagement from the notches 42 etc. i'llso secured to the lever 30 within the slot 28 of the shaft 26 is a spring leaf 34 extending outwardly alongthe lever and suitably secured thereto by means such as a locking block 36. The leaf 3! aids the lever 30 when the latter is applied to its active position i in taking a part of the lever load and preventing the latter from excessive bending or from snapping when it is bearing a substantial-load;

In order that the brakes may be more easily held applied to substantially any degree at the a of the angle iron "38 is formed with steps or wish of theoperato r whether it be merely to I retard the speed somewhat or to apply the brake fully, an angle iron 38-is provided and suitably fastened to the front portion ofthe mine car l0. Because ofthe spring in the lever 30, the lever may be sprung over an extra notch in applying and willhold the brakes applied in spite of a slight decrease involume of fluid due todrops in temperature. It will also take care of expansion of fluid due to increases in temperature. The outwardly extending portion l0 notches at regular intervals as shownat Q2, 44

and 46 and has also associated therewith a bar I or guide member 48 for the lever 30. The lever 30 passes within" the guide member 48' and extends therethrough where it can be graspedby the operator and set-to the step or notch desired and the guide member 4.8 acts to limit the outward travel of the lever 30 when is being moved from one notch to another. Figure 3 illustrates the release or rest position of the lever in full lines and the fully applied position in dotted lines.

Depending from the central portion of the mine car between the wheels I8 is a flange 50 having an inwardly bent bottom portion 52 acting a'support for the wheel cylinders 54. The cylinders 54 may be securely fastened to the flange 50 by means such as a bolt 56. Suitably fastened to the floor I2 of the car I are supporting flanges 58 having pivotally connected thereto shoe hangers or links 50. l The free ends oi the links 50 are pivotally connected to shoes 62 by means such as pins 64.

Extending from the wheel cylinders '54 are push-rods 65 contacting the inner portions of the brake shoes 52 and adapted to transfer the pressure of the. system against the shoes to brakeand retard the'rotationjof the wheels I8.

The push-rods, are provided with. adjusting nuts 68 adapted to'be. connected to piston rods 61 to extend the rods so as to compensate forthe wear of the shoes occasioned by-constant braking. Urging the links 50 .to bring the brake shoes 52 ,back to their normal position is a re tractile spring 10. The force of this spring is overcome upon theactuation of the master cylinder 24 and the application of the brake shoes 62 against the wheels I8 by the push-rods 66.

The master cylinder 24 is provided with discharge conduits I2 communicating with the wheel cylinders 54 by means of ports I4 to supply the latter with fluid pressure to-operate the systemand apply the brakes. The operating lever '30 is shown in-Figure l as being somewhat curved so as to cooperate with the portion'20 and receding portion'23 of the car. As lever 30 isgrasped by the operator and moved upwardly on the notches of the angle iron 38 the master cylinder 24 is actuated discharging the fluid through conduits l2 into the wheel cylinders 54 which inturn act upon the push- -rods 55. causing them to extend and applythe; brake shoes 62 to the wheels I8 against the action of the retractile spring'IO'.

In the modification of Figure 4 there is illustrated a lever I00 adapted to be operatedfrom either side of the mine car I0. Suitably secured to the front portion of thev car I0 by means I such as bolts I04 are angle irons I02 constructed in a similar manner as angle irons 38 of Figure 1 so as to permit the variable setting of the lever The lever has secured to itself an auxiliary lever I00has a yoke arm I I0 so constructed as to be capable of movement along with the lever I00 the operator and moved downwardly to be seated in one of the notches formed in the angle iron I02, the yoke arm is carried along (dotted portion of Figure 4 of the lever I00) as is the double end lever II4 pivoting about its main pivot H5 and so rotates the shaft 26 of the master cylinder 24. The latter cylinder is actuated and the same manner of braking occurs as has been hereinabove described in detail. The operation in this modification is not limited to one side of the car but the same may be accomplished from either side by virtue of the extending lever I00.

While two illustrative embodiments have been described in detail, it is not our intention to limit the scope of the invention to those particular embodiments or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

' We claim:

1. In a braking system for a vehicle having wheels, a master cylinder at one end of the vehicle, wheel brakes having cylinders responding to the master cylinder, manually operable means for actuating the master cylinder comprising a spring lever extending crosswise of the end of the vehicle, and means mounted on the end of the vehicle having notched portions and a guide member to retain the manually operable means under tension at a predetermined position to maintain pressure on the master cylinder to hold the brakes applied.

2. In a braking system for a vehicle having wheels, an actuating means for said system comprising an actuating member outside of the vehicle operable at both of its ends, a yoke connected to said member, a double end lever connected to said yoke, and a master cylinder operated by said double end lever.

3. In a fluid braking system for mine cars and the like having wheels and a body, a master cylinder mounted within the body, brake members adjacent the wheels, slave cylinders to operate the brake members, means operatively connecting the master cylinder to the slave cylinders, means to operate the master cylinder comprising a stop member mounted on the outside of the spring leaf I06 serving the same purpose as rod when the latter is actuated. Swiveled at II2 to the yoke arm I I0 is a,doubleend lever .I I4 having its'main pivot II6 connected to the shaft 26, of the master cylinder 24' inside, of the mine car I0 as illustrated in Figure 1. The free end of the lever II4 is connected by a retractile spring II8 'to the angle iron I02. so that the spring urges the lever to its normal position. Bent over the end plate IIQ of the mine car and extending downwardly. therefrom over the actuating linkage or mechanism is-a plate I20 acting as a guide or shield for such mechanism.

- In its operation as the lever I00 is grasped by posed between the stop member and the master cylinder. I

- 4. In a fluid pressure braking system for a vehicle having wheels and walls to constitute a compartment, a fluid pressure producing device within the compartment, a manually operative member actuating said device,- means outside the compartment to retainthe manually operative member in an applied position, and resilient means associated with said fluid pressure device and said actuating member allowing expansion and contraction of the pressure fluid while the said actuating member is retained in applied position.

5. In a braking system for a vehicle having wheels, a master cylinder, slave cylinders controlled. by the master cylinder, and manual means including a resilient'lever to actuate the master cylinder.

6. In abraking system for a vehicle having wheels, a master, cylinder, slave cylinders controlled by the master cylinder, and manual means including a resilient lever to actuate the master cylinder, said, resilient lever being adapted to maintain the pressure exerted by said master 4 cylinder at a constant-value.

JOHN W. 

